Ripples: Return to Foggy Point Light

By Jeff Burns

Science fiction mystery centering around a one hundred fifty year old lighthouse located on Green Island, just off the North Carolina coast. After being decomissioned and donated to the Green Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, a week long dedication ceremony was held commemorating the lighthouse being put on the National Register of Histori

• Language: English
• Publisher: Foggy Point Light Publishing LLC
• Release date: Nov 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9780998974231

Jeff Burns

Professionally, Jeff is nationally and internationally recognized as an elite counter-terrorism expert and covert operator. He has over twenty-five years of international high-threat protective services and covert operations experience in both the government and private sectors, which includes ten years of law enforcement experience conducting complex undercover operations. Jeff has completed over 8,500 hours of advanced level special operations and law enforcement training, he is board-certified in Dignitary and Executive Protection (CDEP), a board-Certified Master Anti-Terrorism Specialist (CMAS), U.S. Department of State Worldwide Protective Services 2 (WPS2) qualified and holds numerous advanced special operations and firearms instructor certifications.

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Chapter 1

May 21, 2016

The Storm

A loud boom echoed through the night, rocking the building to its foundation and rattling the windows beside the bed. Dan Nelson awoke with a start. For a minute he wasn’t sure exactly what had awakened him, or even exactly where he was. A bright white flash of light illuminated the window across the room, followed quickly by another loud clap of thunder. Torrents of rain crashed against the window, as another bright flash cast eerie shadows on the opposite wall. He sat up in bed and looked around the room, which was completely dark except for when the lightning came in its quick, bright bursts. The flashes seemed to be coming quicker now, and the thunder seemed louder now as well, the deep, low sound shaking the walls and windows so hard that Dan was afraid that a picture might fall off the wall, or some other object might topple off of a shelf onto the floor. He rolled over to one side and felt for the clock radio on the nightstand to try and see the time, but the bright blue LED display was not lit. He realized immediately that the power must be out, which wasn’t surprising in this storm. His mind growing clearer now, he recalled the events of the past day and remembered that he was in a room at the Baker Family Bed and Breakfast on Green Island. He looked around the room, and to his surprise Dianne and the kids seemed to still be asleep. How can anyone sleep through this!? he thought to himself.

He gently pulled back the covers, trying not to wake Dianne, and quietly sat up on the edge of the bed. Outside, nature was unleashing all of her fury, but in here it was warm and dry. He thought about the previous day, and of the events of that day: The Presidential Reception, the climb to the top of the lighthouse, and the spectacular view of the sunset that had accompanied it. Watching the bright orange and red sunset as the sun slowly slipped below the horizon, there hadn’t been even a hint of the storm that was to come later in the night. He stood up and walked over to the window which looked out over Main Street. As the bright flashes came in rapid succession, for a few seconds he thought he saw a man standing under the street lamp, looking up at their window.

It couldn’t be! he thought, No one would be out in this kind of weather!

But even as he continued to stare out the window, and finally determined that there was nobody out there, he still felt an uneasiness that he couldn’t quite place. He began to think back to when he first woke up. He remembered the room being completely dark, but there was something else as well. The loud clap of thunder had interrupted a dream. He couldn’t remember a lot about it, except for the part right before the thunder woke him up. In that part, he was out at the lighthouse when a thick fog came up. As he walked over to get a better look, a lovely woman with long blonde hair stepped out of the fog and began to walk toward him. He tried to remember if she was anyone that he knew or had seen before, but he drew a complete blank. He was fairly certain that he didn’t know her, but still there was something that seemed slightly familiar about her. Just as she walked up to him and was reaching out her arms to him, the clap of thunder interrupted the dream and he was quickly transported back to reality. He probably wouldn’t have remembered the dream at all if he’d been allowed to slowly transition out of the dream state and wake up normally, but he had been awakened quickly, and the last few minutes of the dream had been transferred to his conscious memory, at least for a time.

Who could she be? he thought to himself, struggling to remember just a little more of the dream. But even as he convinced himself that she was no one that he knew, something in the back of his mind told him that he did in fact know her, and for some reason this made him feel even more uneasy. It was a perfectly normal dream. he told himself. Nothing at all that should make him feel this strange. Yet it did, and it was a feeling that he really didn’t understand. Strange didn’t fully describe it, and actually uneasy didn’t quite describe it either. It was more of an apprehensive feeling, but even that wasn’t quite accurate. It was almost like the feeling that you get when you suspect that something’s wrong, but you can’t quite place what it is. It just keeps nagging at you all the same.

Come on, Dan! he thought to himself, It was just a dream! That’s all it was.

As the waterfalls of rain continued to crash against the window, he walked back over to the bed and slid back under the covers. Even now, surprisingly, he’s still the only one awake. The bright flashes of light through the window had become less frequent now, and the thunder seemed further off as well. The storm was passing, but even as he realized that this storm had passed, he felt that another storm was coming that would totally disrupt his life. For some unknown reason, he couldn’t help but think that this dream was more than just a dream, that it was a window into another world. He knew that it was totally irrational to feel this way, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling.

As he lay there in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, he still couldn’t quite get back to sleep. His mind kept wandering back to yesterday. Thinking that he saw the silhouette of a man standing under the street lamp a few moments ago reminded him of a feeling that he had when he first woke up yesterday morning. While everything seemed normal enough, he recalled a feeling very similar to the one that he was having now, though not nearly as strong. Even as he and his family drove out to the lighthouse dedication ceremony and attended the Presidential Reception afterward, he had the feeling that something was different; something just didn’t feel right, even though everything seemed perfectly normal.

He finally drifted off to sleep, but awoke a short time later. He glanced over at the clock radio which now had illuminated numbers which said 1:27 AM. Knowing that the power had been out earlier, he wasn’t sure that was the correct time at all; actually it probably wasn’t. Most digital clocks reset to twelve midnight when the power finally returns, so all it probably meant was that the power had been back on for an hour and twenty seven minutes. As he continued to lie in bed, he remembered something else about the previous day that he really hadn’t thought much of at the time. He remembered a man, whom he had noticed several times during the course of the day. Something about him made him seem as if he didn’t quite belong. He was fairly nice looking, with sandy brown hair. He wore tan pants and a dark blue shirt. Dan remembered thinking at the time that he was probably a plain clothed officer there to protect the President. But for some reason, now he wasn’t so sure. He remembered the storm that had awakened him earlier in the night, but that had completely passed now. He also remembered having a dream then as well, but try as hard as he could, he couldn’t remember even the slightest detail of that dream now.

He pushed off the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed, listening to the air blowing through the vents in the room. He got up and walked over to the closet in the corner, where he withdrew a pair of khaki pants and a shirt. Purposely being quiet so as not to wake the rest of his family, he got dressed, picked up a room key off of the dresser and quietly unlocked the door to go out into the hallway. As he descended the stairway and turned to walk back to the kitchen, he could see that there was already a light on. He walked through the entryway into the kitchen, where he was greeted by his mother-in-law Jan, who apparently couldn’t sleep either.

That was quite a storm! she remarked.

Yes it was! replied Dan, Woke me up a few hours ago.

I’ve been awake most of the night. said Jan, I couldn’t seem to get to sleep. I guess it was the storm, but I’m not quite sure that was all it was. When I first woke up, I just felt that something was wrong. I’m not sure why I felt that way, but I came out here and looked around. Everything seemed to be in order, so I didn’t think much of it. The storm was so strong, that I just figured that was what it was.

I know what you mean; it was the same with me.

There was something else. she continued, I hope you don’t think me to be just a crazy old woman, but while the storm was raging at its worst, I walked over to the front window of the parlor and looked out onto Main Street. The lightning was flashing almost constantly at that point, worse than I’ve ever seen, but what really startled me was that when I looked out there was a man standing under the street lamp directly across the street from the window. He looked straight at me as I pulled the curtain back!

What did he look like? Dan inquired, remembering that earlier in the evening he had thought that he saw a man out front as well.

I didn’t really get a good look. she replied, The lightning was so bright, and flashing so frequently, that all I could really see was a silhouette, but I’m sure it was a man. When I turned and looked back out, though, he was gone. I really had to wonder if he had been there at all, since the rain was coming down so hard. Who’d possibly be out in that kind of weather?

I wouldn’t think anyone would, but the funny thing was that I thought I saw a man earlier standing under that same street light!

No?! she remarked, as if his mentioning that he had seen the man as well actually proved that he was there after all. Since that incident, she had convinced herself that he wasn’t real, just a trick effect of the lightning. She actually preferred it that way, because there was something about the way that he looked that completely unnerved her.

I don’t think it really was a man, answered Dan, We were probably both fooled by an optical illusion created by the lightning. He was gone so quickly that he couldn’t have really been there.

You’re probably right, she said, but in the early morning hours, it’s still pretty unsettling. Especially with that storm! I’ve never seen one quite like that one in all the years that we’ve lived here. There’ve been storms just as severe, but not quite like that one. Wendell didn’t even move! Nothing can wake up that man!

Like father, like daughter. said Dan. Dianne didn’t wake up either. I’m sure she’ll wake up tomorrow morning and say, ‘What storm? Was there a storm?’

At this, Jan had to laugh. She knew her daughter well, and knew exactly what he was talking about. She had been having a cup of coffee, and now thought to offer Dan one as well. He accepted, and they sat and talked for another hour before both decided to go back and try to get a little more sleep before morning. It was Saturday, which was the last full day of the week long Lighthouse Dedication. Sunday would have some activities, but most of the people that came for the celebration would be leaving then. Life would get back to normal on the island, with normal being the usual summer vacation season.

A few hours later everyone was up and around the breakfast table. As both Dan and her mother had figured, Dianne hadn’t heard the storm at all, neither had the kids. Greg came by for breakfast as well. He could only stay just long enough to have breakfast before heading out. President Henderson was scheduled for another campaign stop over in Wilmington this afternoon, and being his Press Secretary, Greg had to arrive ahead of him to be sure that everything was set up and ready for his arrival. At breakfast, he remarked about the storm as well, and told everyone of all of the fallen tree limbs and other damage that he had seen on his way over. He had been staying with the President’s entourage out at the Harbor Inn, and the storm had been just as severe out there, maybe more so.

What did you make of that storm last night?! he asked everyone. I grew up on this island, and that was about as strong of a storm as I’ve ever seen. It almost seemed to be fueled by some unseen energy. At one point, I counted lightning every two or three seconds!

It woke me up too. said his mother, Dan and I sat down in the kitchen and talked about it for awhile.

During breakfast, the storm was the main topic of conversation. Even the guests from the mainland remarked how they were awakened by it. Most said that it was the strongest storm that they had ever seen as well.

Just how bad the storm was, was confirmed when they finally walked outside. They all saw what Greg had been talking about. There were leaves and fallen tree limbs everywhere. Water still stood in the road in several places where the drainage was the worst. Dan didn’t fully realize the extent of the damage until they got down the road a little further on their way to the Harbor Inn. Some really large trees had fallen across the road, as well as numerous branches. Mike and his crew, who were the only tree and brush clearing company on the island, were already hard at work trying to get the roads cleared before the traffic really started. At one point, Officer Mark Collins was out detouring traffic around a section of road that was completely blocked by a fallen tree. They saw several trucks from the power company as well. While the power had been restored to the bed and breakfast a little while earlier, apparently a lot of the island was still in the dark.

After a longer than usual drive out to the Harbor Inn, they finally arrived. Since the hotel was hosting an exhibit on the history of the island, particularly the lighthouse, there were more cars than usual in the parking lot, so they had to park a little further away. Danny and Rebekah were excited to see the exhibit. Since their mother had grown up on the island, and their father had spent many vacations here, they were anxious to find out more. The lighthouse had always been one of their father’s favorite places to visit, and they both actually liked it too. It was a link to the past that couldn’t be found just anywhere. Exactly how much of a link to the past, neither of them could even begin to guess.

The four of them walked across the parking lot and went into the front lobby of the hotel. On the way across the parking lot, Danny had noticed a silver van parked along the side of the hotel that had about a half dozen radio antennas and what looked to be weather instruments on the top. It wasn’t the usual TV station van, but had the words, Coastal Storm Spotters written along the side. He asked his dad about it and Dan told him that it was probably an amateur storm spotter club.

They sure came to the right place last night then! Danny replied. Even though he hadn’t personally been awakened by the storm, he had heard everyone talking about it this morning, and had observed the damage that it had caused on the way out here.

As they all entered the lobby of the hotel, they could see numerous exhibits that were set up around the lobby area. Many more had been set up in the various conference rooms located in the Conference Center Wing. They found the Coastal Storm Spotters exhibit set up in the Pelican Room. It was a fairly large exhibit, having a table with various weather literature, pens and pencils with the club logo imprinted on them, refrigerator magnets with the National Weather Service phone number to call if you see severe weather, and numerous other informational flyers. What really caught their attention, though, was a forty inch flat screen LED TV mounted about six feet up on the back wall of the exhibit right under the Coastal Storm Spotters banner. Playing on the monitor was a video of one of the most breathtaking storms that any of them had ever seen. Lightning arced across the sky, jumping from cloud to cloud, creating multitudes of unique patterns. The entire atmosphere seemed electrified. There was constant motion of the lightning, with some going sky to ground, some going cloud to cloud, and some seeming to arc in huge spirals in the clouds, as if they had minds of their own. One of the men at the booth, who was wearing a gray polo shirt with the club logo, said, That video’s from last night. The power was out in the hotel, but we took some of our portable equipment out back and created this 25 minute long film. It was incredible! The energy levels that we measured in the atmosphere were off the charts! I’ve never seen anything quite like it. By the way, my name’s Joe.

Dan Nelson, replied Dan, My wife grew up here on the island, and we’re down here for the lighthouse celebration.

Have you ever seen anything like that? Joe asked.

No, I can’t say that I have. It was quite unique.

Joe looked to be in his twenties with brown hair and a thin, lanky build. He looked the part of your typical weather geek. He talked with Dan some more before another man, also in the club’s gray polo shirt, came running up excitedly.

You’ve got to see this! he exclaimed, holding up a color printout that he had just pulled off of the printer. I just got this from the National Weather Service feed!

Man! said Joe, That’s incredible!

They both studied the picture for a few more minutes, then, anxious to share their findings with someone else, handed the page to Dan. He stared in disbelief for a few moments, trying to get his bearings on the picture. It was a color satellite photo of the island taken last night by one of the NOAA satellites during the worst of the storm. Lightning covered a large part of the photo, and the island’s shape was difficult to make out, since the photo was dark except for the lightning. What had caught Joe’s eye, though, and what now drew Dan’s attention, was a large lighted circle created by the lightning in the lower right of the picture. Looking at it, it looked to be as much of a perfect circle as any perfect circle could be. Lightning didn’t do that, did it? It didn’t move that way?

Where is this circle located? Dan asked Joe.

Joe replied, Based on the grid markings, I’d say that circle is right about where the lighthouse is located.

What could cause something like that? inquired Dan.

It had to be some sort of circular motion in the clouds, replied Joe, but if it were a tornado, the lighthouse would have had to have sustained serious damage.

Dan took out his cell phone and dialed Steve’s number. Steve was the director of the Green Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, and his office was in the house connected to the lighthouse tower.

When Steve answered, Dan asked if there had been any signs of a tornado out at the lighthouse last night.

Not that we can tell, replied Steve, "There are a lot of trees and limbs down, and the power’s still out here, but the lighthouse is intact. We went out earlier to look around at the damage. Looking around the area, it doesn’t look like the damage that would be caused by a tornado, though. All the buildings are still standing, and it doesn’t look like too much serious damage to any of them.

That was good news. If it was a tornado, or any kind of circular winds, they had apparently stayed up in the clouds and not touched down. He hung up the phone and informed Joe that apparently if it was a tornado that it hadn’t touched down.

He learned that the man’s name that had showed them the satellite picture was Herb. After talking with him and Joe for a little while longer, he went looking for Dianne and the kids, who had gone on around to more of the exhibits while he stayed back at the weather spotter one. After this, they planned on going back out to the lighthouse and doing a few other things for the afternoon. Tomorrow they would be leaving and going back home to Greenville, but today, being Saturday, there was still a lot of activity around the island.

As he rounded the corner, his gaze was immediately drawn to a woman stepping out of the gift shop and walking the other direction down the hall. She had long blonde hair and for an instant brought back a dim memory of the dream from last night.

Kate! he whispered to himself, but even as he said it he really didn’t know where that name came from. He didn’t know anyone named Kate, he was sure of that. Still, just seeing this woman walking down the hall brought back certain emotions that he was sure weren’t just from the dream last night. He stood staring at the woman until she disappeared into the elevator at the far end of the hall. He felt that she wasn’t anyone that he knew, yet just seeing her had awakened a sense of déjà vu in his mind, but from where, and from when?

As he continued down the hall to find Dianne and the kids, he was so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice the man that he had seen yesterday. But the man noticed him, and was watching him. And the man was probably the only one there that actually knew who the woman from Dan’s dream was. But he couldn’t tell anyone, at least not yet.

Chapter 2

September 18, 2018

The Lecture

Two Years Later

Mark was awakened suddenly by the alarm clock beside his bed. He rolled over and hit the snooze button, then grabbed his pillow and put it over his head. After a few more minutes, he suddenly rolled back over and sat straight up in bed. He looked over at the alarm clock which now said 8:42.

Oh, no! he thought, How many times have I hit the snooze? I’ll never make it in time now!

He quickly jumped out of bed and rushed over to his dresser, pulling out a shirt and some pants. He pulled on the pants, then ran into the bathroom and combed through his hair. He raced out the door, buttoning his shirt as he ran down the stairs of his apartment, unlocking his bike from the bike rack beside the entrance as he left. After tying his backpack to the rack behind the seat, he was in such a hurry that it took three tries before finally finding the combination for the lock which fastened the bike cable. Running along beside the bike, he jumped onto the seat with it already moving then quickly began pedaling as fast as he could. Since he lived at the University Apartments on South Campus, and the lecture hall was located on the North Campus, he was still a long way off. It was already eight fifty one, and even pedaling as fast as he could, it was still at least a fifteen minute ride. Luckily, he wouldn’t be really late, but he’d still walk in at least five or ten minutes after it started. Most likely Dr. Carson would still be doing introductions, so hopefully he wouldn’t miss much.

To Mark, it seemed like he was always running late to everything. Even when he tried to give himself extra time, something would happen and he’d always be rushing around. He couldn’t remember the last time that he had actually been early to anything. Life for him was always a constant struggle, hurrying from one thing to the next. Then he remembered Angela! They were supposed to meet for breakfast at the student center at eight fifteen! As he fumbled to get his cell phone out of his pocket, trying to steer the bike with one hand while dialing Angela on the speed dial with the other, he managed to crash into a trash can beside the path, propelling himself and the bike in opposite directions. As he sat up on the ground, his arm and left thigh aching from the fall, he finally was able to dial Angela’s number and explain his failure to show up. She had figured as much, since they had been dating for almost six months now. She knew that he tried and had the best of intentions, but somehow keeping a schedule was hard for him. It was lucky for him that she understood him as well as she did. They agreed to meet after the lecture, and then he jumped back on the bike and continued the trek across campus.

It was ten after nine before he finally opened the door to the lecture hall which by this time was packed. He stood at the door, surveying the room for any open seats, and then proceeded to one that he saw about half way toward the front. Dr. Carson had already introduced the speaker, who really needed no introduction. Since Dr. Carson had introduced Mark to the work of Dr. Langtree about a year ago, he had read a lot of his works, subscribing to his internet feeds and regularly reading the blogs on his website. His website featured articles on black holes, interstellar travel, alternate reality theory, and even the theory of time travel. Since Mark was majoring in Theoretical Physics, he was fascinated with the work of Dr. Langtree and was especially interested in this lecture which was titled, Dynamics of Energy Field Theory. He had read a little about Energy Field Theory on the internet. Most theoretical physicists actually dismissed it as flawed. They felt that the ideas and hypotheses that Dr. Langtree used to support it simply wouldn’t work. They felt that his initial assumptions were wrong as well. But to Mark, he was a compelling speaker, and Mark wanted to know more, especially about what he considered the most interesting claim about Energy Field Theory, that it could be used as a window into the past.

He sat down and pulled out his notebook, where he had printed out an article from Dr. Langtree’s website on Energy Field Theory. By this time, Dr. Langtree was showing a diagram on the screen, complete with calculations to support the theory. A lab assistant came to the end of his row and passed down an information packet for the lecture, which Mark quickly opened and examined as Dr. Langtree continued to talk about how the ghosts that most people see during paranormal investigations are really created by energy fields which remain from all living things. His theory, which he explained as controversial in the scientific community, is that all living things leave an energy imprint at specific intervals of time. The ghosts and other apparitions that people see and hear are simply generated from residual energy fields created at another time in that exact place, replaying their actions in this time. He emphasized that, according to his theory, it should be possible to use these energy fields to actually see into the past. Using his calculations, he feels that someday it will be possible to see into specific times and actually see events as they unfolded minutes, hours, even years in the past. The universe is filled with these energy fields, which can only be seen when the conditions are right. He surmised that someday, the right conditions could be artificially created by using specific scientific instruments.

Mark understood why Dr. Langtree’s ideas were controversial. To most people, just the idea of being able to see into the past is pure science fiction. But theoretical physicists propose theories all the time that are impossible. And that’s the part that’s so intriguing to Mark. He’s fascinated with the impossible. Last semester, he even wrote a term paper for Dr. Carson’s Advanced Theoretical Physics class titled, The Physics of Time Travel. In it he included detailed calculations and probability analysis, including the amount of energy that would be required. Even Dr. Carson, who by his own admission feels that time travel is impossible due to the many paradoxes that would be introduced, was impressed enough by this paper to give it an A. He planned to further delve into the time travel arena with his final thesis, which he intended to title, A Theoretical Examination of the Paradoxes of Temporal Physics. He actually had already started it, even though it wouldn’t be due until the end of next semester. He planned a detailed analysis of the various paradoxes introduced by time travel and possible solutions to them. He proposed different approaches to time travel which could possibly eliminate most, if not all, of those paradoxes.

As the lecture drew to a close and Mark began packing his bag, he was surprised to be asked by Dr. Carson to come down to the front. He had planned on going down anyway after the lecture finished in order to meet Dr. Langtree, but actually being asked was somewhat of a surprise. He packed his bag and walked down to where Dr. Carson was waiting while Dr. Langtree spoke with some of the other students who had come down to meet him. They waited for a few minutes until most everyone else had left, and then Dr. Langtree came over to where they both were standing.

So this is the brilliant upcoming scientist that you spoke to me about! he said to Dr. Carson as he shook Mark’s hand. What did you think of the lecture today?

Really fascinating. replied Mark, somewhat taken by surprise. Until I had read some of the ideas from your website, and actually came to hear you today, I never really thought much about energy fields. And with the supporting evidence, you make it sound like viewing the past really could be possible.

Maybe I wasn’t convincing enough. replied Dr. Langtree, a slight smile on his face. I was going more for 'will be possible’ than ‘could be’. Was there a flaw in any of my calculations that would make you doubt the possibility of it?

No, not at all. It’s just that, well, this is all just theory that we’re talking about here. It’s hard to imagine any of this actually becoming reality.

I’m disappointed in you, Mark. replied Dr. Langtree. After reading your term paper, I thought that you were one that shared my enthusiasm for making the impossible possible."

My term paper? asked Mark.

Dr. Carson spoke up, I was so impressed with your term paper from last semester that I showed it to Dr. Langtree. While I do teach a class about temporal physics, he’s the real expert. I wanted to get his opinion about your theories and approaches. As it turns out, he was as impressed as I was about your fresh thinking. He was particularly impressed that you didn’t seem to be limited by traditional views.

It’s already eleven thirty. said Dr. Langtree, How would you like to have lunch with me and Dr. Carson?

Mark didn’t know what to say. While he had come to the lecture hoping to meet Dr. Langtree, he would never have even considered that he would be asked to have lunch with him! And apparently no one else was being asked, since most of the other students had already left. Of course, this was an honor that he couldn’t turn down. To have lunch and discuss theories and possibilities with Dr. Ryan Langtree, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in the world was more than he could have imagined.

Having lunch sounds great! I just need to call my girlfriend. We were supposed to meet after this lecture.

He called Angela, and then walked out of the building with Dr. Langtree and Dr. Carson. They walked to the side parking lot where a black SUV with the Chandler-Langtree Institute logo was parked. They all got in the SUV and drove off campus to one of Mark’s favorite restaurants, Dave’s Burger Bar. After they had walked in and sat at a table over near the window, Dr. Langtree began, Your paper really impressed me, Mark. I’ve never seen such original thinking. And you have one of the best grasps of temporal dynamics that I’ve ever seen. There’s just one thing that I have to ask, based on our conversation earlier: Do you really believe that what you wrote about in your paper is possible?

What do you mean?